BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 81 IHSS&IWA26 / BRNO / CZECHIA / 23–28 August 2026 Tuesday, 25 August 2026 / Hall B+C Research Frontiers and economically advantageous way to modulate their functionality [4]. We therefore synthesised HS-enriched alginate beads and we exploited them to adsorb the dye Methylene Blue from model wastewater by carrying out several adsorption/desorption cycles. Our results indicated that HS-added Hyg were able to remove significantly higher amount of contaminant compared to plain beads, and that it also varied across the various cycles performed. Such differences were related to the physico-chemical features of HS-enriched Hyg, such as viscoelastic properties, swelling behaviour and matrix morphology, which resulted in an overall higher chemical affinity of the contaminant for such HS-rich material, driving its more favourable repartition within bead matrix rather than in the aqueous solution, compared to beads prepared only with alginate. In turn, the bead mehcnaical, morpholofigcal and physicochemical characteristics were found to depend on HS molecular structure. Our studies demonstrate the possibility to exploit HS from biowaste to function as substrates for the synthesis of advanced, high-added value nanocarriers and hydrogels, which may increase the liability of crop protection and the remediation of contaminated wastewater. The plasticity of the proposed nanomaterials makes them ideal for encapsulating other bioactive molecules, such as proteins, peptides or metallic ions. Similarly, the synthesised Hyg could be exploited to release agrochemicals, as well as to potentially remove a variety of organic or inorganic contaminants. Therefore, further research is needed to fully disclose the potential uses of the novel HS-based materials, to advance the complete valorisation of agro-industrial bio-waste. References 1. U. Arinaitwe, D. N. Yabwalo, Hangamaisho, Int J Plant Biol, 16 (2025) 122. 2. D. Savy, S. Cangemi, Vinci G., A. De Martino, F. Scognamiglio, V. Di Meo, V. Cozzolino, Int J Biol Macromol, 290 (2025) 138958. 3. G. Meister & T. Tuschl, Nature, 431 (2004) 343–349. 4. C. Savarese, D. Savy, M. Sanzione, M. A. Rao, Int J Biol Macromol, 320 (2025) 145927.
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